Roast chicken is one of my favourite things to cook. There are so many ways and flavours to try I never get bored and can usually be found whipping one up on a Sunday afternoon.
I thought it would be rude of me not to share one of my favourite ways of cooking a roast chicken. What's great about this one is that the leftovers (if any) make a really yummy sandwich.
You will need:
1 x free-range chicken
1 x large lemon
4 x cloves of garlic, squashed
75ml/3fl oz olive oil
Some sprigs of fresh Thyme
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 8.
Place the chicken onto a chopping board and cut in half down the backbone using a large and very sharp cooks’ knife. If you don't have the strength, do what I do and get the man of the house to do it for you.
Flatten the chicken as much as you can buy pressing down with the palm of your hand. This method is call spatchcocking.
Yes, I giggle saying it as well.
Pour the olive oil into a mixing bowl (large enough to take the chicken), add the squashed garlic cloves, the juice from the lemon and then the squeezed lemon shells. Put in the sprigs of thyme, a good seasoning of salt and black pepper, then turn the chicken over in the oil. (If you have the time, you can leave the chicken like this for an hour or so.)
Place the chicken in a roasting tin, skin-side up. Roast for about 30 minutes or until the skin is golden and the bird cooked right through.
I like serving mine up with roasted new potatoes, coleslaw and some salad. But, it's also great with all the normal roast dinner trimmings. Plus, the juices from the chicken make a great stock - shove it in a tupperware and use it in a risotto or as part of a pasta sauce.
Enjoy!
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